The recent trend in garment fabrics from the traditional woven fabrics, such as worsted, to knit fabrics has created some serious manufacturing problems. For example, the present day mass production cutting techniques, as well as the new techniques, e.g., laser, available to the men's garment industry have been found substantially unusable. Previously, a manufacturer could cut many layers of fabric when employing such fabrics as the worsted. However, when knits began to be employed, because of sagging, stretching, etc., only a few layers of the fabric could be cut at one time. Knit fabrics normally require up to 24 hours to relax on the cutting table before they can be cut. This is to insure the fabric has returned to its original dimensions after being stretched as it was laid upon the cutting table. Knit fabrics generally require more time and care in handling resulting in fewer garments being constructed per hour of work.
The same problems as well as others carry over to the finished garment. One of the chief deterrents to the growth of double-, single- and warp knit garments is their tendency to snag. That tendency is particularly troublesome with lighter weight fabrics as are used in wearing apparel. Snagging is enough of a problem to overshadow all of the comfort features of such garments. Thus, the need for a treatment for fabrics to eliminate or at least to minimize snagging is a priority objective of the garment industry. Such a treatment should be permanent to survive dry cleaning and/or machine washing. It should not alter the hand or other desirable characteristics of the fabric. It should be easily and economically applied. Other suitable attributes will be recognized by the industry.
Techniques and compositions are known for overcoming or minimizing those problems. However, those systems require special equipment designed for the treatment. Many fabric processors have continuous solvent finishing equipment on hand. It would be desirable to develop a system that would be compatible with that equipment.